Drying apparatus for alimentary paste, &amp;c.



P. DE MARTINI. DRYING APPARATUS FOR ALIMENTARY PASTE, &c.

Ill/l/IV/l/l/JK 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Sept; 10, 1918.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19,1918. 1,278,?08,

P. DE MARTINI.

DRYING APPARATUS FOR ALIMENTARY PASTE, &c. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. l9l8.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z. 26 20 WITNESSES:

ATTO R N EY$ PAUL DE MARTINI, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK.

DRYING APPARATUS FOR ALIMENTARY PASTE, 860.

Application filed February 19, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL DE Mnn'rmi', a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamaica, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus for Alimentary Paste, &c.; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this'specification.

The present invention has reference, generally, to drying apparatus for alimentary paste; and the invention relates, more particularly, to an improved construction of supporting rack for holding paste products, such as macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, etc, while the same are subjected to the drying and seasoning process in any suitable drying room.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel and simple construction of supporting rack, preferably mounted upon wheels or casters so as to be movable from place to place; the same being provided with novel means for controlling and directing air currents in their passage through the supporting racks in contact with the paste products supported thereby for drying; said air controlling and directing means being arranged to permit a direct and continuous draft of air to pass against the paste so controlled, however, as to eliminate agitation of the paste, thus preventing breakage thereof with consequent waste and loss.

Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Vith the various objects of the said invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel construction and arrangement of drying rack for alimentary paste hereinafter set forth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described, and then finally embodied in the claims appended to this specification.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnited Sept. 1Q, 1918.

Serial No. 218,023.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel construction of drying rack for alimentary paste, made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the same.

Fig. i is a perspective view of a slightly modified construction of my novel drying rack for alimentary paste, still embodying, however, the principles of my present invention; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through said modified construction of rack; and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section through said modified construction of rack. I

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

The reference character 1 indicates the complete novel drying rack for alimentary paste, made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention, the same comprising a frame-work consisting of interconnected vertical members 2, horizontal members 3 and transverse members 4:,providing a cubical structure having a top opening 5, bottom opening 6 and end openings 7, practically coextensive with the area of such planes. Arranged within each of the open ings, 5, 6 and 7, thus provided, are a plurality of pivoted laterally extending louverboards or slats 8. The pivoted louver-boards or slats 8 of each opening are mutually connected together by a suitable link-rod 9 pivotally connected with the said louver-boards or slats, whereby the latter, as arranged in each opening, may be adjusted by turning the same upon their pivotal connections 10 to open, close and regulate the same to control and direct the passage of air through the respective openings in which they are mounted.

Extending between each pair of longitudinally opposite vertical members 2 are supporting rails 11 properly spaced above one another, and also arranged transversely opposite each other, so as to provide a support for transverse rails 12. The reference character 13 indicates the removable rack rods which are straddled between the trans verse rails 12, and upon which the macaroni 14 is suspended within the racks for drying.

The sides of the rack may be closed by some suitable closing means, preferably in the form of hinged doors 15, which may be opened for the purpose of inserting or removing the removable macaroni supporting rack rods 13.

The rack-thus formed and inclosed may be mounted on rollers or casters 16, so that the same may be readily moved into and out of a suitable drying room.

Referring now more particularly, to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated therein a slightly modified construction of drying rack embodying the principles of my invention, the same being modified to provide a' structure adapted to support a plu-' rality oft-rays in which cut or small paste products may be arranged for drying.

This modified structure comprises a framework consisting of interconnected vertical members 17, horizontal members 18 and transverse members 19 providing a cubical structure having a top opening 20, a bottom opening 21, and open sides, but having its ends closed by wall members 22. The open sides are closed by hinged door frames 23 having openings 24 framed thereby. Arranged within the top opening 20, and the I bottom opening 21, are a plurality of pivoted longitudinally extending louver-boards or slats 25. The louver-boards or slats of each opening are mutually connected together by a suitable link-rod 26 pivotally connected with the louver-boards or slats and in like manner arranged with the openings 24 of the door frames 23 are a plurality of pivoted louver-boards or slats 27, the same being mutually connected together by suitable linkrods 28 pivotally connected therewith.

Extending between each pair of transversely opposite vertical members 17 are supporting rails 29, connected with which are longitudinally extending rack-rails 30, adapted to provide suitable open supporting means for trays 31. Said trays 31 are provided with mesh bottoms 82, and serve to provide receptacles in which cut paste prod ucts may be disposed for drying, the open mesh bottoms of the trays permitting the free circulation of air currents in contact with the paste supported thereby.

The rack thus slightly modified in structure may be mounted on suitable rollers or casters -33, so that the same may be readily moved into and out of a suitable drying room.

In the use of my novel drying racks thus constructed, the same are loaded with the freshly formed paste products in the press room, and then wheeled or moved to a suitable drying room in which air is kept in cir- Zculati-on, in moving currents or drafts, by

any suitable means suc'h as blowers, fans, etc. After the interior of the drying racks are filled with the material i-n-ei-ther long or short form (the former being suspended on the rack rods as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and the latter being supported in trays as shown in Figs. 5 and 6), the movable or pivotally mounted louver-boards or slats are adjusted to provide the desired amount of opening to the passage of air through the interior of the drying racks, and at the same time set in the proper inclination to produce the desired direction of circulating current of air through the interior of the drying rack. hen the racks thus arranged are placed Within the drying room wherein drafts of air are maintained in motion, the air currents flow against the adjusted louverboards or slats, and enter through the open spaces therebetween into the interior of the a tending to deflect the air from too straight. a path of movement, and thereby force the same with proper distributive effect into contact with the entire mass of product supported within the drying racks.

In drying macaroni or the like, the proc ess usually divides itself into two .or more drying periods. Duringthe first period the air currents tend to absorb andlcarry off the moisture nearest the surface of the macaroni, leaving a considerable amount of moisture within the internal parts or core of the dough. If, after this surface drying hasbeen accomplished to a proper degree, the air currents are continued the surface of the macaroni becomes too .dry, tends to crack and crumble away from the still moist internal parts or core and therefore quickly ruins the batch. Consequently the drying air currents must be stopped and the macaroni or the like inclo-sed in quiet air for a time suflicient to permit the moisture in the internal parts or core of the dough to come to the surface, after which the second drying period may be inaugurated by renewing the flow of air currents in contact with the macaroni, and this interruption of the air currents may be required several times according to the conditions. Under these requirements of proper drying my novel construction of drying rack lends itself to the proper inclosing of'the macaroni or the like during the rest periods without necessitating handling or removing the same, since all that is necessary, tobe done is to close fully the louver-boards,whereby, even though the air continues to circulate through the drying room in which the "rack is situated, the interior of the rack is shut off and the currents of air obstructed from entrance thereinto, thus providing Within the rack the still or quiet condition of air required as above explained.

In my present invention I therefore provide a movable drying rack, per 86, capable of use in any construction of drying room, which in itself contains all the necessary means for controlling air in accordance with the general principles of my previous invention patented August 21st, 1917, in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,237,874, Without the necessity of special arrangements or structures forming a part of the drying room itself.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as Well as in the details of the construction of the same, Without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts as described in the foregoing specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. In a device of the kind described, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the cubical frame Work open at its top and bottom and at two of its opposite sides, means for closing the remaining opposite; sides,.rack devices for supporting material Within the interior of the structure and independently regulatable means connected With each open side and substantially coextensive with the area of said sides through Which air may pass in controlled volume and direction to and from the interior of the structure, said regulatable means comprising a plurality of pivoted adjustable louver-boards mounted in each open side, a link-rod pivotally connecting together said louver-boards of each opening, and casters connected with said struc ture to render the to place.

2. In a device of the kind described, a cubical frame Work having tWo opposite sides and its top and bottom open and its remaining sides closed, rack devices Within said frame Work for supporting material therein, a plurality of pivoted louver boards arranged in said open sides, top and bottom, and link-rods connecting together the louver-boards of each opening.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of February, 1918.

PAUL DE MARTINI.

Witnesses:

Gnouen D. RICHARDS, JOHN L. SHEEHAN.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0."

same movable from place 

